fluid diet

Week 1

Your stomach is swollen after surgery and it needs to heal. Therefore you need to follow a fluid only diet for the first 7 days after surgery. Remember to sip, sip, sip and stop when you feel any sensations of fullness. Sipping on diluted cordials & juices can be more comfortable than sipping plain water. It is great to include some high protein drinks here such as meal replacement shakes from the pre-op diet, protein waters or drinks with added whey protein powders to help with healing.

puree diet

PUREE DIET- Weeks 2 & 3

At this stage, the swelling in your stomach is slowly settling down. To prevent symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or pain it is important to follow the guidelines provided by your dietitian and only include foods that have been pureed to a smooth consistency. You must avoid dry, lumpy or doughy foods that may get ‘stuck’. Remember to eat slowly!

soft diet

SOFT FOOD DIET- Weeks 4 & 5

Now you can slowly introduce soft textured foods into your diet. This phase is about experimenting with a variety of soft and soft /moist cooked foods that are easily chewed down to a puree in your mouth. Test foods by squashing them with your fork to see if they pass the Soft Consistency’ test. Remember to take small mouthfuls and chew foods very well. After the soft diet you will move back to eating ‘Solid’ or ‘Normal’ consistency foods- but there will still be some foods that are usually more difficult to tolerate and may take longer to include comfortably.

Please take note that the above diet progression is a guide only as different surgeries, and surgeons, may require you to stay on a particular diet texture longer.